Who to Call: Sidewalk Troubles

If you're walking down the sidewalk and notice a serious crack or a collapse or some other damage, you may wonder where to report it. The answer depends on where the sidewalk is.

By TOM PALMERTHE LEDGER

LAKELAND | If you're walking down the sidewalk and notice a serious crack or a collapse or some other damage, you may wonder where to report it.The answer depends on where the sidewalk is.In unincorporated Polk County, the area outside city limits where about 296 miles of sidewalks exist, call Polk County Transportation at 863-535-2200 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, and the staff members will pass it on to their colleagues in one of the regional maintenance units scattered around Polk County.Residents need to supply as specific information as possible, including the name of the street abutting the sidewalk and where along the street the damage occurred, such as a specific address or the nearest intersection.In Lakeland, which has more than 250 miles of sidewalks, residents should call Lakeland Public Works at 863-834-6001 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.They can also call about getting sidewalks installed, although that is usually done via a special assessment unless grant funds are available. In Winter Haven, which has 40 miles of sidewalks, residents should call the Streets Division at 863-291-5852. Office hours are weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Meanwhile, transportation planners are also working on a long-range plan to improve Polk County's sidewalk network by doing such things as filling in gaps and connecting the system to transit stops.This is part of the "Complete Streets" program.If you'd like to learn more about sidewalk planning, contact R.J. Walters, Polk County Transportation Organization spokesman at 863-534-6709.

[ Tom Palmer can be reached at tom.palmer@theledger.com or 863-802-7535. Read more views on county government at http://county.blogs.theledger.com/. Follow on Twitter @LedgerTom. ]

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